Choosing to be Cinderella
by moonlightdreamer1
Summary: This is my own little version of Cinderella combined with trolls. It may be a little different then what you are use to but then different is good as far as I am concerned.
1. Chapter 1

This is my own odd little AU version of Cinderella mixed with trolls, be warned my fairy tales tend to be just a little different so watch out for plot twists. Warnings of angst, fluff, romance and possibly some darkness. I have dyslexia so please be nice about the spelling and grammar I work really hard on my stories.

Choosing to be Cinderella.

Chapter one:

When King Peppy announced to all of the trolls of the troll tree that it was time for his daughter princess Poppy to have her choosing ball, the whole troll tree felt that it was nothing more than a formality, as they were all sure that their princess would chose Creek at the ball. The choosing ball was the traditional ball at which the heir to the throne chose their King and husband or Queen and wife from all those trolls attending it. Since the young princess had shown a keen interest in Creek for many years, all of the other trolls were sure that it would be the purple troll that she would chose to be her husband and King at the ball. Despite this there was still great excitement in the troll tree, as royal balls were few and far between which meant that whenever one was held all of the trolls looked forward to attending it…Well nearly all of the trolls looked forward to such events, there was however one troll who tended not to enjoy parties of any kind, this was Branch the only grey troll.

Unusually though even Branch found himself contemplating going to the choosing ball, he was only tempted to go because it was a masquerade which would give him some anonymity and the music for the night would be mostly slow and formal, this suited his temperament a lot better than the usual fast paced music which was always played at the other parties the trolls held. There was one other reason that Branch wanted to go to this ball, this reason was so he could be close to Poppy and show her that he had romantic feelings her for just for this one night without her ever having to know it was him. The grey troll looked away from the invitation he received inviting him to the ball, then down at his body before he let out a deep sigh. As much as Branch wanted to attend the choosing ball there was the problem of his unusual colouring, it unfortunately made him rather easy to spot and since the grey troll wished for anonymity for the night being grey represented a significant difficulty for him.

As Branch sat there looking at his grey skin an idea came to him, quickly the grey troll put the invitation down on the table he had been sitting at, Branch then stood up, he hastily went over to his book case, once there Branch carefully eased an old book out from the shelf. The grey troll brought the book across the room, he placed it tenderly on his table and then gently opened the old book. "Well grandma looks like you are going to play my fairy godmother from the grave. Which I guess makes me Cinderella…Oh well I suppose it could be worse and at least I am not at all likely to be sort out after the ball by princess Poppy."

The grey troll carefully looked through the book until he came to the page he had been looking for, it was a potion which would allow him to regain his true colours for a period of four hours. Branch quickly worked out that this would mean he could arrive when the ball started but would have to leave around midnight which was both the time of the unmasking and the time when Poppy would choose her husband and King. As far as Branch was concerned not being present when both of these events took place suited his desires for the night of the ball perfectly. The grey troll was glad to see that all of the items which he would require to make this potion where fairly easy to find simply by foraging for them in the forest. It was times like this that Branch was extremely glad he knew the forest and all of its plants as well as he did.

Just once Branch promised himself, just this once he would attend a party, he would dance, maybe even with the princess and he would enjoy himself as much as he could, but the grey troll would not sing he was determined that would never occur. To Branch singing just like his colours and his happiness were lost to the pain he had suffered after losing his beloved grandma to the Bergans. As far as the grey troll was concerned these three things would all most likely remain lost for the rest of his life and that was something Branch had come to accept a long time ago. The grey troll was glad that the ball was to be held in a months' time, as this would give him all the time he would need to get everything he needed ready for the night of the choosing ball.

Over the next few days the grey troll did all of his normal daily tasks, but he also went out into the forest to gather all the things he would need in order to make the potion to change his colours. When at last Branch had all of the items gathered, and prepared exactly the way the instructions told him to. The grey troll then made sure to brew the potion carefully, cautiously Branch followed the book's instructions in order to make sure that there would be no unexpected side effects from taking it. Brewing the potion took the grey troll several hours but once the potion was ready Branch made sure to wrap the potions glass bottle it in soft protective fabric, before the grey troll then store the potion away in a part of his bunker where it wouldn't be found easily by any other troll other than himself. Branch did this because he wanted to make sure that this special potion was kept safe from any mishaps until the night of the choosing ball.

After he had made sure that the potion was secure in his bunker, Branch had decided that he couldn't really go to the ball in the clothes he wore everyday as not only would it make it to obvious who he was but as this was also a formal royal occasion and therefore the grey troll felt that for this event the clothes he wore for the night should reflect the importance of the choosing ball. Branch had tried to avoid going to the troll tree to purchase fabric by seeing if he had anything in his bunker he could use to make new clothes but the grey troll had quickly realised that the only fabrics he had in his bunker were really only for making work clothes. So, it was that Branch found himself doing something he did rarely the grey troll had gone to the troll tree and to the shops there. The grey troll quickly made his way to the fabric shop and after browsing the shop for a while Branch had eventually found the ideal fabrics from which to make his clothes for the ball. The grey troll took the bolts of fabric to the till, were he purchased the amount of dark blue and white material he would need for his project as well as the threads he would need.

When Branch had arrived home at his bunker from the shops the grey troll had carefully put the fabrics to one side, before going into another part of his bunker to look through his clothing patterns, eventually Branch found the patterns he would need to make the clothes he wanted to make for the ball. Once Branch had settled on the patterns he was going to use the grey troll had then gotten out his sewing machine, scissors and sewing kit and set them up so he could get strait to work. As Branch worked, he hummed a tune to himself, this was the as close as Branch would ever allow himself to come to singing. In his mind though the grey troll could hear himself and his grandma singing this song together just as they had done when she had still been alive, the song Branch was humming had always been one of her favourites and he missed hearing his grandma singing it.

After a few days of work Branch had to admit that his clothes for the choosing ball were coming together well, the grey troll was very proud and pleased with his work. The clothes he was making were nothing like the clothes he usually wore which Branch hoped would make it much easier to hide who he was for the night. The grey troll had already made his mask, when Branch had it on the mask would cover the top half of his face completely save his eyes, ears and hair. This mask was made of the same deep blue fabrics as his clothes so that it would go well with his clothes, this half face mask was a simple confection without any gaudy decoration as he didn't want to draw to much attention to himself. Branch had also made the mask so that it didn't need anything at the sides to tie it round his face, instead the grey troll had made a simple temporary adhesive which would hold it onto his face for the night of the ball.

Once he had finished making his clothes and mask Branch tried them on together for the first time and then looked at himself in the mirror. The grey troll was surprised to see how much of a difference formal clothing made to the way he looked, it seemed to him that unwittingly he had somehow chosen patterns which had made clothing that emphasised his figure in ways that clothing had never had before now. For a few moments Branch thought that maybe he had over done it by making these clothes, but the more the grey troll looked at himself the more that Branch realised that dressed like this none of the other trolls were going to realise that he was the one that the clothing was hiding. The grey troll could almost imagine exactly what he would look like dressed like this and with his colours returned to him and Branch found himself smiling slightly at this thought. "I think if you were here grandma that you would approve…" Not wanting to damage the clothing he had made the grey troll quickly changed back out of it and carefully stored it all away with the potion.

After doing of this Branch had spent the rest of the month practicing his dancing, he had decided to do this because it had been years since he had done any kind of dancing and the grey troll didn't want to make a fool of himself out on the dancefloor if he was asked to dance at the ball. As he practiced his dancing Branch was surprised and pleased to discover that despite the years which had passed he still remembered how to waltz. The grey troll found that he was actually more concerned that he would find the faster dances difficult, as he always found it hard to dance to the faster paced music because of his grey condition. The only thing that Branch could think to do was that if faster music was played was to not to dance to it or maybe even find something to eat at that time and avoid the dancefloor all together.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

When the night of the ball finally came, Branch changed into the clothes he had made for the event, so that he now wore long well fitted dark blue trousers, then there was a white top with a high neck which opened with a v shape at the front and then lastly over this was a fitted dark blue jacket to match the trousers he wore. Once he was dressed the grey troll drank the potion, he shivered and watched with wide eyes as his skin turned teal blue. The now blue troll pulled down his royal blue hair just to check it had also changed colour along with the rest of him and let out a sigh of relief that the potion had worked exactly as he expected it to. Branch carefully put his mask onto his face, before turning to the mirror in his bunker to look at himself and despite knowing he would look different the blue troll couldn't get over how different he looked tonight. The now blue troll hadn't even realised until he had looked in the mirror that his hair was taller than before as well as now standing up in a new shape, Branch had to admit that he rather liked the new shape of his hair, as well as having his old colours back and he felt a little sorry that these changes to himself were only going to last for the next four hours.

The blue troll shook himself out of his thoughts, then he gave himself a nod before crossing the room, Branch picked up the invitation to the choosing ball from on top of the nearby table and left his bunker to walk to the ball. When he came to the entrance of the ball Branch handed his invitation over to the troll waiting there and then went inside, looking around him with amazement as he did so. The clearing was lit with small white twinkling lights which looked like millions of fireflies, there were many trolls already in attendance they were all dressed in their finest and talking to each other in small groups. Branch's entrance hadn't gone unnoticed, in fact the blue troll became aware of the fact that a lot of the trolls had turned to look at him and were now staring at him with wide eyes. Feeling slightly nervous, Branch looked down at the floor, he was about to slip back out of the ball when a hand on his arm stopped him. Quickly the blue troll looked at the pink hand on his arm, then to the troll it belonged to and was surprised to find that it was Poppy who had stopped him from leaving.

The princess wore no mask as tradition dictated, she was dressed a floor length simple strapless light blue dress which flattered her figure and matched the blue flowers that were fixed into the side of her hair which had been worked up into a simple bun for the night. "Will you dance me?" The pink troll asked with a slight note of hesitation to her voice as she did so.

"I'd be honoured to dance with you princess Poppy." As he said this Branch bowed his head to the other troll.

Poppy smiled gratefully at him, she took his hand into hers and drew the blue troll out onto the floor with her. As the first waltz of the ball started to play, Branch put his right hand into her left, he then placed his left hand onto her waist. Poppy responded to him doing this by moving closer to the blue troll and put her right hand onto his waist. "Thank you for agreeing to dance with me." The princess said this with relief clear in her voice.

Branch looked down at the troll in his arms and as they danced together said to her gently. "Is something the matter princess? You don't sound very happy."

The pink troll sighed deeply and answered this question. "It's…Well it's all a little embarrassing to be honest…"

Slowly the blue troll smiled down at Poppy and spoke to the pink troll with sincerity. "Well I can promise you that I won't judge you or tell any of the other trolls what you tell me, that is if you should to choose to confide in me about what is troubling you."

"Thank you for saying that. I will admit that it would be nice to confide in someone, I love my friends but I just don't think they would understand how I feel…"

"Oh, dear this sounds very serious. So, what is the matter?"

With a sigh, Poppy decided that confiding in this kind but mysterious troll would be a good thing as he seemed to be the kind of troll to keep his word. "Every troll here is expecting me to choose Creek as my husband and King…But I don't want to marry Creek."

"Oh, why is that?" Branch asked both shocked and intrigued by this confession from the princess.

"We are good friends and I had a crush on him when I was younger…But he isn't the one I love and want to marry."

"But you have to choose a troll tonight."

"I know…But I'm not sure who I should chose."

Slowly the blue troll smiled down at the other troll. "Just chose with your heart."

"Chose with my heart…Those are wise words."

"Thank you. I am sure that any troll here tonight would consider themselves lucky to be chosen by you." Branch told the princess with sincerity, the blue troll was able to say this with such honesty because this was how he felt about Poppy himself.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes I do." As he answered this question the music they had been dancing to came to an end, Branch bowed politely to Poppy, as he went to move away from her to escort her back to the edge of the dancefloor once more the princess caught hold of one of his hand and drew him off of the dancefloor with her.

Branch didn't resist as Poppy led him away from the ball and into the nearby forest until they were at last alone in a quiet spot. Once the pink troll was sure that there were no other trolls in the area she turned to face the blue troll, Poppy took his other hand into hers and then looked up at him before asking. "Why did you come to the choosing ball?"

The blue troll decided the best thing to do was to answer this question with honesty and did so. "Some of it was curiosity about what a choosing ball might be like, but mostly I wanted to see you and of cause like all the other trolls I wondered which troll you would choose to be your husband and King tonight."

"What would you say if I said that despite only having just met you, I was thinking about choosing you?" Poppy asked him curiously.

The blue troll stood quietly thinking for a few moments before he answered this question from the princess. "I'd say I was flattered but I am not sure I would be the best match for you. We also don't know each other very well, so it would probably be best if you choose someone you know better for your King."

"I will admit I would like to get to know you better, you see you have intrigued me."

"Princess Poppy are you sure you want to do that? Are you sure you don't want to return to the ball and find a troll you already know better than me to woo tonight?"

The pink troll shook her head in answer to this question from the other troll and then said to him. "My mother once told me before she died that I would know when I found the only one for me, the one who was my soul mate and true love. I know I have found that in you."

"Soul mate and true love…Those are very powerful things on their own but for them to both to be found in one relationship is extremely rare. To say I am that troll after only one meeting…Does not feel as strange to me as perhaps it should." Branch confessed softly to the princess blushing slightly as he did so.

Poppy smiled at the blue troll at her side and let go of his hands as she said. "I am glad to hear you say that because it doesn't feel strange to me either. Besides there is a way to prove I am right about you being both my true love and soul mate."

"Really and how is that?" The blue troll asked her curiously.

"Well if we kiss and glow then we are true loves. As for the soul mate part, that can be proved if we glow when we hold hands and sing together, if we glow as we do then we are soul mates."

Branch held a hand out to her and Poppy took the offered hand, the blue troll looked down at the other troll and said to her. "Well I don't know about either of those things, but I do know that whoever is going to be the one to stand at your side is going to have to love you with everything they have in them because you deserve that kind of love and that troll is going to need to be able to help you rule the trolls."

"Let me ask you this, if you were to be made King what would you do first?"

Poppy watched him closely, he was thinking she could see that and the princess was glad to see that this blue troll was taking his time to think about his answer to her question before he gave it. "I think what I would do is strive to make sure that all of the trolls were safe and happy. I would want to be sure that if hard times came there was enough food, water and medication for all of us to make it through." The pink troll stared at him with surprise, the answer to her question was so compassionate and wise that it stole her breath away for a few moments. Realising that Poppy was staring at him with surprise, Branch quickly took his hand back out of hers and then scratched the back of his head with nervousness. "That was a stupid answer to your question, wasn't it?"

The princess shook her head at him. "No, it isn't a stupid answer at all. It shows me that you have a lot of compassion and wisdom in you."

"I think that is the first time any troll has told me that."

Poppy smiled, she heard her name being called loudly from nearby and let out a deep sigh. "It appears I need to be heading back to the ball, will you come back with me and dance with me again?"

"I'd be honoured to dance with you again." Branch assured her.

So it was that the two trolls returned to ball, when they arrived there a slow song was playing it spoke of enduring love and of seeing true colours. Smiling at each other they stepped out onto the floor to waltz again, this time however they didn't dance a simple waltz they instead ended up dancing something far more complicated. Poppy couldn't stop smiling at the blue troll she was dancing with, never before had the princess danced with someone who could match her step for step in this kind of waltz. Their eyes never left the other, plenty of the other trolls had noticed that the princess was dancing for a second time with the blue troll and several of them were starting to wonder if perhaps Poppy wasn't going to choose Creek to be her husband and King after all.

As this music drew to an end, the princess escorted her blue dance partner off of the dancefloor, when they came to the edge of the dancefloor a purple troll was standing there waiting for them. Branch knew without a doubt that despite the mask he was wearing that this troll was Creek, he simply took Poppy's hand into his and without even asking the princess if she wanted to dance with him the purple troll pulled the clearly reluctant Poppy out onto the dancefloor with him. The blue troll watched them go out onto the dancefloor and shook his head slightly at the rude behaviour of the other troll. Branch could see from where he was standing at the edge of the dancefloor, that as Creek and the princess danced they were involved in what appeared to be a heated conversation of some kind. The blue troll also noticed that as Poppy danced with the purple troll her pink eyes kept searching around for him and would soften with relief whenever they found him.

As soon as her dance with Creek finished, Poppy turned a lot of heads by leaving the purple troll standing in the middle of the floor so that she could walked strait over to Branch. When the princess reached the blue troll, she held her hand out to him commandingly, the blue troll bowed to her with formality as the situation demanded, he then slipped his hand into hers and permitted Poppy to pull him back out onto the dancefloor with her. The princess quickly pulled Branch to her, they simply started to sway to the music this time, eventually Poppy looked up at the mysterious blue troll and said to him. "I want to choose you…And I don't even know your name yet…But I know though that you make me feel safe and loved."

Slowly the blue troll smiled down at the princess. "I'm glad that I make you feel that way. As for choosing me…I'm still not sure I would be the best choice for you."

"You told me to follow my heart and it is you my heart tells me is the right choice for me." Poppy told his with absolute honesty.

The blue troll kept his eyes locked with hers. "I'm honoured that you would wish to choose me to be your partner in life but I still think you should choose a troll you know better." As he finished speaking the music ended, Branch escorted the princess off of the dancefloor and to her father's side. When they reached their destination, the blue troll bowed to the King, then to the princess, he took one of her hands into his and kissed the back of it before walking off back into the party. The blue troll knew that it was time that he went home as it would soon be time for the unmasking which meant that he would be changing back to his grey colouring soon.

Poppy went straight after this mysterious blue troll, when Branch noticed that the princess was coming after him, so he ran from the ball not wanting Poppy to see him change back into his normal grey self. As he ran through the forest around the troll tree Branch was aware that he had lost his mask at some point during his flight, but the blue troll knew that he had no time to turn back and look for it at least not with the princess so close behind him. Instead Branch ran on, he could hear Poppy chasing after him, so the blue troll called on his intimate knowledge of the forest to help him lose the princess. Quickly the blue troll turned a sharp corner and then used his hair to conceal himself amongst some tall reeds growing closely together by the edge of the lake.

As Poppy rounded the corner into the same area where the princess had been sure she had seen the other troll heading, she came to a halt and looked around Poppy was surprised to realise that there was no sign of the mysterious blue troll just reeds by the lakeside as was normal. Quickly the princess looked around the area to see if she could spot any clues as to which way the troll she had been chasing might have gone in but Poppy could not see anything. The pink troll let out a deep sigh and spoke. "You are the one I have chosen. I shall tell my father and all the other trolls that I will have no other troll but the one I met this night to be my King and husband…I will find you again, you were all I had ever hoped for. I should have tried harder to get a name…I'm such a fool." The princess turned, she walked back towards the ball and it was as the pink troll was on the way back to the ball that Poppy found the half face mask the one she wished to choose to be her husband and King had worn to the ball.

As the pink troll looked at the mask in her hands an idea of what she could do to find the mysterious blue troll formed in the mind of the princess and when she arrived back at the party Poppy quickly put her plan into action by doing as she had said she would earlier and announcing to all those present at the choosing ball that she had chosen the mysterious blue troll as her King and husband. The princess told them that as he had never given her his name but she would know if she had found the one if he fitted the mask of her chosen partner.

Once he was sure she was gone the now grey again troll came out of hiding, Branch looked in the direction Poppy had gone in and let out a sigh of his own. "You won't ever find me princess and in time I'm sure you'll give up looking for me and find another troll far more worthy of you than I could ever be." The grey troll shook himself out of these melancholy thoughts and then quickly set off back to his bunker determined to put this night and the feelings which it had stirred in him right out of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three:

By morning the events that had occurred at the choosing ball between the princess and her mysterious partner were known all round the troll tree, in fact not a single troll hadn't heard of what had happened at the choosing ball. Poppy had taken all of the trolls by surprise when she had announced that she had found her chosen one, the one troll she wished to marry and that he would be the one who would fit the mask. The princess had made it clear to her father as well as to all of the other trolls that she would keep searching for him no matter how long it took her to find him and that she would have no other troll to be her husband and King.

Peppy had to admit he was more than a little concerned by his daughter's announcement from the night before. The old troll had waited until the morning after the ball to sit Poppy down in the main room of the royal pod and air his concerns about her decision to his daughter. "Poppy are you sure you want to do this? After all you only met him last night. I know that was usually how it was done in times gone by, but I had expected you to choose a troll you knew well, like Creek."

"Father I don't love Creek, yes I had a crush on him when we were younger but that was all, I never honestly considered marrying Creek. As for the troll I met last night…I can't help but think that I was supposed to meet him when and how I did. I don't how to explain it to you father but it was like something in him called out to me in a way nothing ever has before. I feel like such a fool for not even asking his name…It was all so magical I didn't even think about the most basic things at the time." When she had finished speaking Poppy sighed and looked out of the window of the pod before speaking to her father once more. "I just want to find him again, I can't help but feel like I'm never going to feel complete without him by my side."

Slowly Peppy smiled at his daughter. "You sound exactly the way I did when I found your mother my soul mate and true love…I couldn't stand the thought of being without her, but at least I remembered to ask your mother her name."

Poppy managed to laugh as her father teased her a little about not asking her chosen partners name. "At least I know his colouring was two shades of blue and that is something I can use to my advantage in my search for him."

"What will you do if you can't find him Poppy?" The King asked his daughter with concern.

The pink troll turned her eyes back to her father and said determinedly. "I'll just keep searching until I do find him. I refuse to give up…I'll even hold another ball if I have to…He is my soul mate and true love father I know that even without the proof. The feelings I have for him are the same ones you have often told me that you felt for mum when you first met her."

The old troll smiled widely at his daughter. "Well then if that is the way you feel, then you shouldn't give up on finding him no matter how long it takes you to find him."

"Thanks dad. At least I have his mask, I know if it fits and they have the same blue eyes then I will know that it is him. I didn't realise until I looked at the mask closely that it had been hand made…It's so simple but so elegant just like him really." As the princess spoke she looked down at the mask which lay in her lap and smiled softly.

"It sounds like you have chosen a troll with some skills then."

Poppy looked back up, she smiled at her father and then said to him softly. "I asked him if her were made King what he would do first and his answer really surprised me…He told me that he would want to make sure all the trolls were safe, happy and had all of the things they might need for any hard times or any mass illnesses which might come to us."

The eyebrows of the King shot upwards with surprise. "Well my…It would appear that the one you have chosen is very wise as well as skilled. You could use a King like that at your side."

"I know he is going to make me a wonderful husband and a great King to our tribe. Well I am going to begin my search."

"Good luck Poppy." Peppy told his daughter with sincerity.

"Thank you father." The pink troll, lifted the mask from her lap, she placed it into her hair, then Poppy stood up. The princess left the royal pod and set off out into the troll tree to begin her search for the one she had chosen to be hers. Poppy was unsurprised to find that the snack pack where waiting for her not far from the royal pod, the princess smiled round at them all glad that they were all here to help her in her search.

The snack pack smiled back at Poppy before walking over to her and gathering round the princess. The friends greeted Poppy enthusiastically, who returned their greeting with equal eagerness, it was Suki who said to the princess. "So are we starting the search for your chosen today?"

"Yes, I'm hoping you will all be willing to help me try and find him." As she said this the pink troll focused her gaze onto Creek. The purple troll blushed under her gaze but gave the princess a nod, while the rest of the snack pack enthusiastically agreed to help their friend find her chosen King and husband. With another smile for her friends Poppy, fist pumped and then said to them all. "Come on then let's get to it!" They all cheered and followed their princess into the troll tree.

The morning after the ball Branch had carefully stored the clothes he had made for the ball in the depths of his bunker so that they couldn't be found by accident. The grey troll wished he had not lost the mask but there was little he could do about that now, he could only hope that Poppy hadn't found it, as Branch could help but think that was the last thing he needed to happen. Branch hated to admit it but the night of the ball had been wonderful, like one of his deepest, most hidden secret dreams come to life. The grey troll had not expected Poppy to spend so much time with him or that he would find himself falling even further in love with the princess than he had been before. The grey troll could only hope that his disguise for the night before would have been good enough to prevent Poppy from ever finding him, Branch was completely convinced that if the princess discovered he had been the one she had wanted to choose Poppy would be humiliated and disgusted. The grey troll shook his head to clear those thoughts, he was sure that there was no way that the princess was ever going to discover the truth and in time she would forget all about that one night and find another more fitting troll to be her chosen one.

When he had to go to the troll tree later in that week for some unavoidable shopping, the grey troll was unable to avoid hearing all about the princesses search for the one she had chosen or that she had his mask, as this seemed to be the only topic of discussion in the troll tree. From the description of this troll Branch knew that the troll Poppy was looking for was him and when he heard this the grey troll felt a stab of concern and pity go through him. Concern because he did not wish to be found by the princess and pity because now that Poppy had chosen him she would never get to be with anyone unless she gave up her choice, which Branch knew was unlikely with a troll as determined as the pink princess. The grey troll was careful to make sure that none of the other trolls noticed that he took any special interest in this news or that the fact that the Poppy was searching for him and had his mask made him nervous in the extreme.

The grey troll picked up the various things he had been in need of from the assorted shops around the troll tree. Then when he was making his way back out of the last shop he had needed to stop in for shopping Branch found that the snack pack and the princess were outside the shop talking together. Despite his hopes that none of them would see him standing there, it was not to be as Poppy had quickly noticed him coming out of the shop. Before Branch could even think about making a hasty exit so he could avoid being questioned by the princess, she waved at him enthusiastically and then bounced over to Branch. "Hey Branch!"

Trying to sound as casual as possible the grey troll spoke to the princess. "Hello Poppy, something I can do for you?"

"Did you go to the choosing ball?" Poppy asked him hopefully.

The grey troll raised both eye brows at the pink troll and then answered this question in the most scathing tone he could manage. "You're asking if I went to the ball? Me of all trolls…Of cause I didn't go Poppy. You know I don't go to parties of any kind!"

As she heard the answer to this question the princess deflated. "Oh…I see."

"I heard you were looking for some mysterious troll you danced with at the ball and have chosen to be your husband and King…Don't you think that's a bit of a long shot searching for someone you only met once?" Branch asked this question wanting to see just how determined Poppy was going to be in her search for this enigmatic troll.

"I have to try and find him…He is my soul mate and true love I just know it." The pink troll told him with complete confidence in her conviction.

Branch shook his head at the younger troll and rolled his eyes before saying to her. "Those don't exist."

"Yes they do." Poppy said with offence, putting her hands onto her hips and glaring up at the grey troll.

"Seriously…You believe in such a thing as soul mates and true love…That's just something that little trolls believe in. You need to grow up and see the real world princess."

"I see the real world just fine Branch. My mother and father were true loves and soul mates, so I know such things exists and I know I found mine in him."

Branch rolled his eyes at Poppy again and then asked the pink troll a question he already knew the answer to. "Do you even know his name?"

"No…I forgot to ask." The pink troll admitted blushing brightly as she told Branch this.

The grey troll stared at the princess with carefully contrived disbelief for a few moments before bursting out with. "Let me get this straight, not only are you searching for some mythical true love and soul mate, he has somehow done a vanishing act on you and you don't even know his name!"

"Well yes…" Poppy began.

Quickly Branch interrupted her by saying. "Poppy do you know how ridiculous that all sounds! Let alone the fact that he might have a reason to hide who he is from you or that you might never find him again!"

"Don't say that!" The princesses yelled at the top of her voice a slight edge of panic to her voice as she did so.

Knowing he'd struck some kind of nerve the grey troll softened slightly towards the younger troll. "I'm sorry that was very thoughtless and insensitive of me…I just don't want to see you hurt…I know…Well every troll knows I'm not good at expressing my emotions well, but even though you annoy me you're still my friend, I worry about you and I don't want you to be hurt. All I'm saying and you don't have to listen to me, in point of fact I know you more than likely won't but still…Maybe…Just maybe you should just leave him to be what this troll is or was a wonderful romantic mystery. Reality isn't likely to measure up to whatever dream you have of him…Let him go Poppy and marry some troll you know some troll like Creek." Poppy stared at Branch wide eyed, she wasn't the only one doing this, the rest of the snack pack were also wide eyed with surprise. As the grey troll noticed this reaction to his words, he looked round at them all with confusion before saying. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Suki was the one to answer this question from the other troll. "You sounded different just then…Like another troll. You sounded…" The words trailed off as the orange haired troll struggled to find the words she wanted.

It was Creek who helped her by saying. "He sounded wise…Almost Kingly…" The other trolls all nodded their agreement as he said this.

Branch shook his head at them. "Just because I am speaking sense when no other troll is, that doesn't somehow suddenly make me either wise or Kingly."

"But you did…" Poppy said softly causing his gaze to fall on her again. "You sounded so different from normal…"

The grey troll rolled his eyes at them all. "I wish you luck with your search Poppy, I think you may need it." This said Branch shook his head, muttering to himself darkly the grey troll turned and walked quickly away from the snack pack heading back towards the forest and his bunker.

When the grey troll was out of sight and ear shot, Biggie spoke up. "Okay that was weird…I mean I know Branch isn't exactly normal by troll standards but even for him that was strange."

"I think he is genuinely worried for Poppy." Satin said softly causing the rest of the snack pack to turn and look at her with surprise, she shrugged at them and spoke again. "Branch doesn't care for many trolls, but he said Branch considers Poppy a friend, so in his own grey way I think that Branch was just trying to express his concern for her. Branch said he didn't want to see Poppy get hurt, I think he was just trying to point out the potential pitfalls and problems with her search that's all."

"He did sound really strange though." Her twin said softly.

Satin gave her a smile. "Yeah that I won't disagree with, it was odd to hear Branch talk like that, but hey enough of talking about Branch we need to be getting on with helping Poppy with the search for mystery the troll from the ball!"

With a cheer of agreement, the snack pack once more set off on their search thoughts of Branch and his strange behaviour shelved in favour of their task. They were unaware of the fact that the grey troll was watching them as they dashed off hidden as he was in some nearby shadows of the troll tree. Branch shook his head and said softly to himself. "Give her time and even the ever determined Poppy will eventually have to give up searching. It was a beautiful dream…But dreams can only live during the night time hours." The grey troll turned and made his way quietly back to his home underground determined that the princess would not discover he had been the mystery troll she had spent the night of the choosing ball with. Branch was also determined that he would always hold close the memory of that one perfect night with the one he loved for the rest of his lonely grey life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four:

It had been a year since the choosing ball and Branch was surprised that Poppy still refused to give up on finding the troll she had danced with. He had even witnessed Creek trying to get the pink troll to give up on her search but for the mysterious troll more than once, but still Poppy refused to give up on finding him. Lately the grey troll had been seriously considering whether he should tell the new Queen it had been him that she had danced with at the ball. Branch shook his head as he thought about this, the grey troll was sure even if he did tell Poppy the truth the Queen would not believe him. Branch was glad that so far the pink troll because of his grey colouring hadn't even thought to try the mask he had worn to the ball on him. He did know however know that Poppy still carried the mask with her in her hair where ever she went and would take it out to look at on occasion. Branch had seen their pink Queen with the mask a few times, when he had seen Poppy she was usually sitting on one of the branches of the troll tree looking down at it and sighing deeply. The grey troll hated the fact that he was causing the pink troll pain but at the same time Branch was convinced that if Poppy knew the truth then the one he loved would be in a lot more pain than she was at this time. In the year which had passed Poppy had slowly taken over from her father as Queen and so far she had proven herself to be a good and fair ruler to the trolls. Branch had hoped that becoming the Queen might have added impetus to her search for some other troll than her chosen one to take the place beside her as King of the trolls but it had not been so.

As today was the year anniversary of the choosing ball and Branch found that he couldn't resist celebrating that special night in his own unique way. So, it was that the grey troll was out in the forest by himself, Branch had chosen this part of the forest for his celebration because it was quiet a distance from the troll tree, this meant that he could be relatively sure that he would be alone for his little celebration. The grey troll had with him a music player and in it was a recording of the music he had danced the complicated waltz too with Poppy. The grey troll had discovered the song was called true colours and Branch loved to listen to it and remember that magical night whenever he had the chance to. He settled the player down to one side of the secluded forest clearing and pressed play, as the music played the grey troll closed his blue eyes, before starting to dance to the music repeating the same steps of the complicated waltz which he had danced with Poppy that night a year ago.

Creek was out for a walk in the forest when he heard music, the spiritual troll quickly recognised it as the song from the ball which Poppy and her mysterious troll had danced that elaborate waltz together too. Made curious by the music being played in the forest a long distance from the troll tree the purple troll decide to follow the song and see where it led him. After a fairly long walk through the forest the spiritual troll realised that the source of the music was at last just a short way ahead of him. Quickly but carefully Creek pushed the leaves of a plant to once side to reveal a clearing, the song was clearly being played here but form what the spiritual troll could not say. The eyes of the purple troll went wide as he noticed that Branch was in the clearing, he was dancing by himself but you could almost picture his invisible partner. Suddenly Creek realised that the steps of this complex waltz were perfect, they were exactly the same as they had been on the night of the choosing ball and instantly the spiritual troll knew that Branch had been the one to dance with Poppy on that night.

The purple troll held in his gasp of surprise but only just, he was carefully to let the leaves of the plant fall back into place quietly, Creek didn't want the grey troll to know that anyone had spotted him dancing out here, as the spiritual troll was sure if Branch suspected he had been discovered then he would flee again. Quickly Creek walked away from the forest clearing, once the spiritual troll was sure he was at a safe enough distance for Branch not to hear him he ran back to the troll tree. The purple troll dashed through the tree to the royal pod, as soon as he entered the pod Creek went straight over to Poppy grabbed her hand and said to her. "You need to come with me now!"

Seeing how flustered her friend was and hearing the urgency in his voice, the new Queen hastily rose to her feet, hand in hand the two trolls raced through the tree and into the nearby forest. Creek carefully but quickly guided the other troll into the forest, as they got closer to the clearing Poppy heard the familiar music and looked at the purple troll next to her with hope in her pink eyes. Creek smiled at his friend, before he slowed them both down from their run so that Branch wouldn't hear them coming towards the clearing. The purple troll gave Poppy a signal to keep quiet and the Queen gave him a nod of understanding in response to this. Carefully Creek pushed some of the leaves of a nearby plant aside, then gestured Poppy forward, the pink troll walked over to were her friend was and looked into the clearing. As soon as the Queen could see Branch dancing her eyes went wide, the pink troll knew the steps of the dance he was performing by heart, without even stopping to think about it she quickly stepped out into the clearing. Poppy determinedly walked over to the grey troll, she slipped her hand into his, then placed his other hand to her waist and seamlessly joined in with his dance. Branch's blue eyes shot open as this happened, he looked down at the pink troll in his arms but despite feeling a stab of fear go through him the grey troll didn't stop dancing with the Queen until the music of their song ended. Slowly almost reluctantly the two trolls released each other, then Poppy carefully drew out of her hair the mask Branch had worn to the choosing ball a year ago and held it out towards the grey troll as she said to him in a soft voice tinged with hope as well as fear. "Please Branch try this mask on."

Branch violently shook his head at the pink troll, then he started to back away from Poppy but the Queen determinedly came after him with the mask in her hand. Creek knew from the body language of the other troll that it was going to be only a matter of moments before Branch decided to turn and run away from Poppy. Noticing this fact the purple troll decided to step in so he could help the Queen to find out that the grey troll was her mysterious partner from the choosing ball a year ago, quickly Creek grabbed hold of Branch from behind so that he couldn't escape the Queen and the pink troll gave the purple troll a grateful smile. The pink troll moved so that she was standing in front of the grey troll, carefully she settled the blue half face mask onto Branch's face. The grey troll quickly responded to this happening to him by closing his eyes tightly. "Look at me Branch." Poppy told him firmly.

The grey troll shook his head forcefully, Poppy gently placed her hands onto his cheeks, the Queen pulled his head down, she kissed Branch on the lips and instantly his teal blue eyes flew open. As soon as Poppy sore his distinctive eyes surrounded by that mask she knew that this was the troll she had danced with, the pink troll moved her hands to his waist and closed her eyes leaning up into the kiss. Slowly Branch closed his eyes, then the grey troll started to kiss the Queen back as he did so teal blue light raced over the skin of the troll's body, his hair became taller, it formed into the same shape it had taken on the night of the ball and turned royal blue. Creek released Branch at this point, he watched with a huge smile on his face as the now blue troll wrapped his arms round the pink troll and held her close him. Slowly the Poppy broke the kiss, this time Branch didn't even try to keep his eyes closed, instead he opened them to look down at the other troll and then gave a start of surprise as he realised that he was now blue again not only that but he was glowing brightly. Branch suddenly became aware of the fact that he was not alone in his glowing, the Queen was also glowing with bright pink light and he knew right there that something amazing had just happened between them. Poppy watched with a smile on her face as Branch lifted his own hand and looked at it with surprise for a few moments. "I have my colours back…But how?"

"True love." Creek said softly.

The two trolls looked at him, then looked back at each other, Poppy slowly smiled up at the now blue troll and remembering the conversation they'd had so long ago said to him softly. "I told you true love was real and I told you the glowing would prove it."

Branch blushed but gave her a nod. "So you did my beloved."

Both Creek and Poppy stared at him wide eyed that same tone was back, the voice he had used when he had been worried about Poppy, it was soft but commanding and it made her want to melt. Slowly the smile on the face of the Queen widened with joy. "That voice is back…I like that voice, it's still you just less hash…Beloved huh?"

"You don't like being called that?" The blue troll asked a little nervously.

"No quite the opposite I love it. Branch what turned you grey in the first place?" As soon as Poppy asked the question she wished she hadn't, as an expression of deep pain came onto the face of the blue troll and he tried to move away from her once more but the Queen determinedly held onto him. She could see grey starting to creep over his skin again and Poppy was not about to let Branch go back to being grey once more. "Oh, oh no you don't!" Poppy declared strongly, but before Branch could question those words, the pink troll's lips were on his for a second time. He responded to this second kiss much more quickly than the first, putting one arm round the Queen's waist, while he threaded the fingers of his other hand into her hair. As soon as Branch's fingers were in her hair Poppy shivered with pleasure and pressed herself closer to him, the blue troll responded by deepening the kiss a little, the Queen delighted in the feelings that kissing Branch sent causing though her body. When they broke this second kiss Poppy looked up into his eyes and said softly. "I'm sorry my love. I shouldn't have asked you about what turned you grey so soon after you regained your true colours and I won't ask about it again. Instead I will wait for you to tell me what turned you grey, after all I don't want you turning back on me now I can see your handsome colours."

Branch blushed as Poppy called his colours handsome. "So I guess now you have proved we are true loves you will want to prove we are soul mates as well?" As he asked this question Branch took the mask off and stashed it into his own hair.

"Yes I would like to do that very much." The pink Queen admitted with a soft smile for the blue troll.

"I seem to recall you telling me that we need to hold hands and sing for that." As he finished speaking the pink troll gave him a nod, in response to this Branch moved his hands from where they had been and took both of Poppy's hands into hers.

As the music of true colours began to play again, they began to sing together and once more Creek and Poppy found themselves wide eyed as it was revealed to them that Branch had an amazing singing voice. As the two trolls sang they both started to glow again, Creek found himself smiling at the couple standing before him, although their love was only newly confessed it was clearly very strong and the purple troll had his suspicions that Branch had been in love with Poppy for some time. As the song drew to a close the pink troll smiled up at the one she loved and said to him gently. "Do you still have the clothes you wore to the choosing ball my soul mate and true love?"

"Yes why?" Branch asked her curiously.

Slowly Poppy smiled mischievously up at the blue troll and answered his question. "Well I think with your new colours, dressed as you were and in the mask, then none of the other trolls are going to know who you are…I think showing them we are soul mates and true loves before I show them who you are would be a good thing."

"You mean you'd find it endlessly amusing when they all die of shock that I'm yours." Branch said to her with a knowing smile.

The Queen shrugged and said with no trace of shame. "Well…That will be an added bonus…A little mischief never hurts. Please Branch." As she said this last part Poppy turned big pleading eyes onto the other troll.

Branch slanted a look at Creek, who had a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter, the blue troll returned his gaze to the one he loved, Branch sighed, he rolled his eyes up wards and then spoke to the young Queen. "Alright…But I hope you know I would only do this for you. You both might as well come home with me." Branch turned the music player off, he lifted it up, the blue troll put it under one arm and guided the other two trolls through the forest to his bunker.

When they arrived at the blue troll lifted the entrance up, he entered the bunker, with his two guests close behind him, they had been surprised by the inside of Branch's home as despite its dowdy colours it was quite comfortable. "If you will both give me a few moments I'll go, get the clothes from the ball out and change into them. Please feel free to take a seat while I'm gone."

This said the grey troll disappeared off into the bunker, Creek and Poppy heard a strange grinding noise, they shared a shrug before settling down onto the grey sofa in the main room and waiting quietly for Branch to return. After a short while the two trolls heard the same noise as before, they turned in the direction which the blue troll had disappeared earlier. As he entered the room Poppy bounced up onto her feet, before she then crossed the room to were Branch stood now dressed in the clothes and mask he had worn to the ball. The princess took both of his hands into hers and looked up into the masked ringed blue eyes of the other troll. "You look magnificent my love."

"Thank you Poppy." Branch said sincerely, the pink troll released one of his hands before using the hold she still had on the other hand of the other troll to make him follow her out of the bunker and to the troll tree.

As the couple with Creek following behind them made their way towards the tree other trolls spotted them coming and followed them along. It didn't take long for the news that Queen had with her the mysterious troll from the choosing ball from a year ago to spread throughout the whole troll tree. So it was that by the time Creek, Poppy and the concealed Branch made it to the clearing in front of the troll tree every troll was there, including the rest of the snack pack and former King Peppy. They all watched as Poppy came to a halt with the masked blue troll beside her, there was for once complete silence in the clearing as they all waited to see what was going to happen. The Queen turned to the troll by her side, she gave him a warm smile which he returned and then the pink troll addressed all the trolls. "As you can all see I have found the troll from the choosing ball, this is the troll I have chosen to be my husband and King. This troll is my true love and soul mate and I shall give you all the proof of this now."

Poppy turned back to the blue troll, she took both of his hands into hers and she began to sing true colours to him, after a few moments his amazing voice joined hers and they both started to glow. Gasps filled the clearing and the Queen was fairly sure that these gasps came from both how wonderful Branch's voice was as well as the fact that they were glowing. As the song drew to an end, the couple smiled at each other, they waited for the glow to fade from them before they closed their eyes and shared a kiss, which caused them to glow again, this time the other trolls did not gasp they started to cheer loudly. Branch and Poppy kept their kiss short because they were in public, when they broke the kiss the Queen opened her eyes, to find Branch was watching her, as the pink troll looked up at the blue troll her eyes held an unasked question in them and Branch gave her a nod of permission in answer to the question she had not asked him. Smiling widely at him, Poppy took her hands out of Branch's, then carefully removed the mask from the face of the other troll, as his face was revealed to the rest of the trolls they all gasped and Peppy spoke his shock very clear in his voice as he did. "Branch…?!"

"Yes Peppy."

"But you are blue again." The former King said in surprise.

Slowly Branch smiled an action which had all of the trolls staring at him wide eyed. "Indeed, I am blue again and that is thanks to your daughter my true love and soul mate."

The old troll turned his attention to his daughter, who was smiling up at Branch, slowly Peppy smiled and said softly to Poppy. "So daughter is this the troll of you choosing?"

As her father asked this age old question the Queen reluctantly looked away from Branch and to her father. "Yes father this is the troll I chose to be my husband and King."

The former King turned his gaze to the blue troll and then addressed him. "Branch do you accept this? Will you be my daughters loving husband and loyal King to the trolls?"

Branch answered this question with seriousness. "I accept Peppy, I promise I shall be a loving husband to your daughter and a loyal King to the trolls." His answer made the trolls cheer again, the blue troll looked down at the one he loved by his side and smiled softly at her.

Poppy quickly returned his smile, she quickly took his left hand into her right, she gave it a squeeze which he returned. Peppy smiled at the new couple before he spoke to them. "Well then I think we have a wedding and coronation to organise."

"I think you are correct Peppy." Branch said softly.

In the short time that passed while the wedding was being planned Branch had already proven to be a good match for Poppy and the love between the new couple had only grown with each day which had passed. The Queen had to admit she was looking forward to having Branch as her husband at last, she was tired of going home alone to her large empty bed in the royal pod, Poppy was also looking forward to the future and all that it might contain for her and Branch. Over this same time Branch had confided to Poppy that it had been the death of his beloved grandmother which had turned him grey. The Queen remembered that night well, Branch had cried a lot that night, she had held him tightly after the confession and he had held her just as tightly in return willing at last to let the pain of his grandmothers death be blunted by the love he felt for Poppy.

A month after Poppy had declared Branch to be her chosen one the wedding was at last taking place, The bride was beautiful in a fabulous white gown and the groom was handsome dressed in dark blue. As the couple exchanged vows the love between them was clear and the true love they shared was marked as it always was and always would be as they glowed with bright pink and blue light when they shared a kiss. Once they were married Branch was crowned as the King of the trolls by his new wife. The party which was held after the wedding and the coronation was as only a troll party could be loud, full of glitter and laughter. Branch and Poppy danced together quite a few times before they left the party to return to the royal pod together to spend their first night together as a married couple.


End file.
